Thursday, January 28, 2010

December jobless rate higher in most Michigan regions

Jobless rates increased in 16 of Michigan's 17 major labor markets during December, according to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DELEG).

The Detroit area was the only labor market to not see an increase in unemployment, according to DELEG statistics released today. Ann Arbor reported the lowest seasonally unadjusted jobless rate at 9 percent, while the highest recorded was 18.7 percent in the northeastern Lower Peninsula.

According to the DELEG, Michigan's three northernmost regions recorded significant seasonal hikes of at least 1.4 percentage points from their respective November jobless rates, whilethe unemployment rate in the Detroit-Warren-Livonia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) actually fell 0.5 percentage points last month.

Industries in which job loss occurred include construction, government jobs, the service industry and tourism.

Since Decemeber 2008, total employment has decreased across the state with significant drops in Holland-Grand Haven, Flint and Niles-Benton Harbor MSAs. Employment in all 17 labor markets has fallen at an average of 4.8 percent over the past year.

"Regional labor markets in December generally followed typical seasonal patterns" stated Rick Waclawek, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information & Strategic Initiatives, in the DELEG press release. "However, 2009 as a whole was anything but typical. Michigan not only faced the impact of the second year of a severe national recession, but also had to contend with the fallout from major restructuring within the auto industry. These two events caused regional unemployment rates to rise dramatically in 2009."

Michigan's seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 14.3 percent in December, which is up from 14.1 percent in November. The seasonally unadjusted jobless rate was 14.6 percent in December.